A protestor cries after being pepper sprayed as she is arrested by riot policemen on January 18, 2013. (AFP Photo / Mohammed Al-Shaikh) / AFP

Seven Shia Muslim men, three of whom are minors, have received 10-year jail sentences in Bahrain after being found guilty of attempting to murder police during protests last year. A day earlier, two policemen were acquitted of murdering a protester.

The trial took place on Wednesday. Attorney General Mhanna
al-Shayji said in an official statement that the group were accused
of "intentionally attempting to kill policemen in the (Shiite)
town of Sitra... using petrol bombs." Seven of the men received
jail terms, and 13 others were acquitted.

The men were arrested in the wake of mass protests that took
place in February 2012. Human rights groups voiced criticism of the
arrests at that time, claiming the detainment was illegitimate, no
arrest warrants had been presented, and the confessions of the
accused were extracted under torture.

Following the Wednesday ruling, the main Shia opposition bloc
Al-Wefaq alleged that all 20 men, including the five minors, were
"tortured" during their interrogation and spoke "under
duress."

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights also noted that the judge
presiding in the case, Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Khalifa, is a member of
the ruling family.

In February 2012, violent clashes broke out in Bahrain at the
funeral of a teenager killed during protests marking the one-year
anniversary of a revolt by the Shia majority against the ruling
Sunni monarchy. Police blocked and dispersed the procession
with stun grenades and tear gas.

Protester Fadhel Al-Matrook died of wounds from the police fire.
However, the police officers were acquitted on Tuesday – a judge
ruled they had no intent to kill, and were performing their duty
during protests. Jalila al Sayed, a Bahraini human rights lawyer,
described the verdict as "a very sad day for justice in
Bahrain," BBC reported.

Bahraini human rights activists have unsuccessfully called on
the international community to intervene, in what they described as
the suppression of the country opposition.

Bahrain – home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet – is ruled by a
Sunni monarchy, while over 75 percent of the population is Shia. In
February 2011, thousands of protesters swarmed the streets of
Bahrain's capital Manama, demanding democratic reforms and the
resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa.
At least 82 protesters have been killed since the start of the
uprising.